What's Next on my List? Vehicle 19

 As a tradition, each year in memory of Paul Walker, I review a movie that he starred in as long as I run out. I miss him terribly still... he was truly one of my favorites. This is for you, happy birthday!

Vehicle 19

I had no expectations going into the movie, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Our main character is Michael Woods (Paul Walker), who goes to Johannesburg to restart his relationship with his wife, ends up driving a car that has a package not intended for him: it is a witness in a court case against the chief of police. Although wanting nothing to do with it, and at first he would take her back to those that kidnapped her, in the end, he decides to help her. The movie is shot from inside the car, even if some of the characters leave it, the camera only looks outside. This car is the reason for all that happens in the film, and as a viewer you never forget it. As the main character he of course ends helping the little guy, but the movie had a very smart layered way of convincing him to not just walk away from it all.

It has been incredibly sad not to have Walker around anymore, but out of many of his films this one reminded me of how talented he was and how much he still had to offer. I always like to remind myself that we are lucky  that we shared the Earth with him and that we do have all those movies that stay with us. This movie feels like an action film, and some of the trailers were certainly edited that way, but really, it is more of a drama, and the main character has continuous struggle over how to make the right choice. But slowly and surely he realizes that there is no right choice. 

I am slowly running out of his films, and it leaves me with this emptiness. It has been 11 years since he passed away, but I still feel this void in my heart. It's silly, I know, it is not like I knew him. But he is a reminder of all the good people we have lost, all the ones who left us too early. Some people made life on this planet worth living. With cancel culture and everyone turning out to be insane, racist, sexists, it's just a good reminder that some people are still good. Were good. In this film they did not cover up his tattoo with the name of his daughter Meadow, but left it in. I think it's beautiful that there is a memory of that too in this film, of the life he led, of his presence on the this wretched planet. 

I do recommend this movie, like I do with every movie from the past couple of years. I have grown tired of mentioning the good and the bad, it is all subjective, it is all in good fun. Movies are fun. A great pass time and a great way to start a discussion, to get to know another person, to get to know yourself better, so see your likes and dislikes, to learn languages ... and to remember some fantastic Hollywood stars we have lost over the years. Just keep watching movies!

Happy Birthday Paul!

What's Next On My List? Rhinestone

 Here we are, ten years of #StalloneMonth. Over time I have decided to stop writing, it does not bring me the same joy as it did, but you know what I do still love? Movies. I just adore movies. And one of the many actors that keeps me going back to the big screen is none other than Sylvester Stallone. As I am going through his filmography, it is always hard to choose the four movies I will cover, and honestly, I am slowly running out, having done this for ten years now, it is no wonder. This man is a machine, and I hope he will be making movies for many years to come! Let's just jump into the next one:

Rhinestone (1984)

Jake Farris (Dolly Parton) enters a bet with her boss, and in order to win it she has to turn a simple New York cabbie into a singer. The person she finds is Nick (Stallone), and they spend time together long enough to not just make Nick someone the crowd can cheer for, but they also develop feelings for each other. In an unsurprising event, Jake almost loses the bet, but then, in the end, wins anyway, as it is in every single rom-com where a bet is involved.  

I have read that this film was not the stellar success that you think it could be with such names as Stallone and the one and only Dolly Parton attached to it, but in fact, it was very badly received. Stallone himself has admitted to having regrets over taking this role and having turned down others, but honestly, watching it now: it was fine. I have seen far worse films, and I'm telling you, someone saw something when they put together young Stallone and young Parton on screen together. It is a silly film, and you have seen this plot a hundred times before. Winning the bet is not the point, the moral victory is, of admitting to have done the wrong things for the right reasons, and learning from our mistakes.

I have been going on and on about writing my dissertation on Italian American representation, and in all fairness, in most of his films Stallone does play somebody of that community. I was lucky to see this film, because, although I am 100% that none of my opponents know it and are unlikely to bring it up at the defense, I have a very good speech prepared already as to why I will not include this one, however, here on my blog I can tell you a bit about my thoughts on representation. Nick, as we find out early on, comes from an Italian American family, where, when he is not driving a cab, he helps out at the funeral home that his family runs. There is a scene where he eats with his family, and I have analyzed several scenes of this kind, where the Italian American family talks with a stronger accent, and the food is the centerpiece of the interactions. And this film is ultimately the perfect example as to how Italian Americans started to assimilate more and more and became just Americans. Most of the films that I have analyzed still focus on the importance of community and how that community puts certain restraints on its members. None of that comes into play in this film, and Nick is his own person and his own man. It is interesting to see that the film decided to gives us a glimpse into an Italian American family, but overall avoided all stereotypes that were typical of the films that had Italians as subject in the 1980s. 

So, watch it? It is honestly not the best film I have ever seen, but after having read the reception to it, where are far worse movies out there. The casting alone in it is great, and Dolly Parton sings a lot, which is truly the only thing I needed to grab some popcorn and enjoy myself. 

We have come to the end of #StalloneMonth for 2024. I'll be honest with you, writing these has proven to be more of a challenge than I thought it was going to be. I had fun writing, but keeping to the weekly deadline was impossible... I honestly don't know how I kept doing that for ten consecutive years! I think, that as long as there are Stallone movies out there, I am gonna keep going, but it is an interesting experiment to see how I approach deadlines differently as time passes and I get older. 

What's Next On My List? The Suicide Squad

Here we are, ten years of #StalloneMonth. Over time I have decided to stop writing, it does not bring me the same joy as it did, but you know what I do still love? Movies. I just adore movies. And one of the many actors that keeps me going back to the big screen is none other than Sylvester Stallone. As I am going through his filmography, it is always hard to choose the four movies I will cover, and honestly, I am slowly running out, having done this for ten years now, it is no wonder. This man is a machine, and I hope he will be making movies for many years to come! Let's just jump into the next one:

The Suicide Squad (2021)

The Suicide Squad is both a continuation of the films in the former DC universe, and in my opinion, a stand-alone film as well. I can confidently say that, because I had not seen a lot of the other DC films, but I had no problem getting immediately immersed in the insanity of this film. The new team, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, Idris Elba's Bloodsport, John Cena's Peacemaker, Joel Kinnaman's Colonel Rick Flag, with returning Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, and finally, the fantastic Sly Stallone voicing King Shark himself. The team is sent on a mission, that will undoubtedly cause losses to the team, and they are also faced with the revelation of secret government information that they were not supposed to find out in the first place... 

It was a bit of a struggle to find the right movies for this review series, because Stallone has had many small roles, equally fantastic, honestly, to me he always steals the show when he is on screen, but I don't want to overlook smaller roles, because there are none of the kind: there are many interview series online that discuss how there are no small roles, not only do actors star out like that, but also, some of the biggest awards have been given out to those actors who just came in for something small, but their contribution was immense to the project. And having Stallone voice King Shark was fantastic, he was an adorable creature, there is something about King Shark that the adaptations in the last couple of years that have made him more endearing, less of a villain, and more of a creature. I would definitely want to hang out with him, despite being a shark. Stallone has now had a couple of movies with Gunn, I hope his presence will be seen in future projects as well. He is one of the few actors who has been both in Marvel and DC. 

Now, should you watch this movie? Absolutely. I am a big DC fan, and I have been unhappy with 90% of the films that I saw, but I hoped that Gunn will deliver. I laughed, I was disgusted, I was intrigued, and I was never bored, not even for a second. I look back fondly at this film, it was a light in the darkness that was the pandemic, and I would recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone. 

Stay tuned for our last review coming up, this February went by very fast. I always look forward to this time of the year, and I am happy to have taken the time to write a bit, there are times when I miss writing my blog, but it is a very difficult for me to make time for this since having a full time job. But at least it gives me a reason to make sure I take time to watch movies, which is one of my favorite things at the end of the day. See you soon!

What's Next On My List? Expend4bles

Here we are, ten years of #StalloneMonth. Over time I have decided to stop writing, it does not bring me the same joy as it did, but you know what I do still love? Movies. I just adore movies. And one of the many actors that keeps me going back to the big screen is none other than Sylvester Stallone. As I am going through his filmography, it is always hard to choose the four movies I will cover, and honestly, I am slowly running out, having done this for ten years now, it is no wonder. This man is a machine, and I hope he will be making movies for many years to come! Let's just jump into the next one:

Expend4bles (2023)

This was the first Expendables film I saw on the big screen and I was really disappointed... Spoilers coming, so be ready. The film itself had the same kind of fantastic ideas, genius stunts, fight scenes, jokes and puns, and a compelling story. However, our lead, Barney played by Sylvester Stallone dies at the beginning of the film. I was waiting for a twist, I was waiting for a reveal, I was waiting for something to finally happen, and when it did... it was really underwhelming. 

We are presented with a new team of expendables, but there was nothing to connect us to them, the film did not really take the time to make me care, and so: I didn't. The film was really about Jason Statham's Christmas, and I am a huge fan of the actor, you don't have to convince me to go and see his films, I love this character too. But with so many new characters having been introduced, even his star was not really shining as bright as it could. I have read a lot of commentary on Megan Fox's performance, and really, I had no issue with her, I do think that she had more chemistry with her cast mates than she did with Statham, and that was annoying. Once again, I feel that the film just fell short, and it was such a shame, because there were really good ideas in it. Returning members like Dolph Lundgren's Gunner, and Randy Couture's Toll Road were phenomenal as always. And I appreciate the work that went into this film, but without Barney leading the team it is not the same.

I would still recommend this movie, if you want to see all from the series, do not skip it, the stuntmen's work alone is award worthy, and I hope soon stunts will be just as rewarded as acting is. However, if you want to see this film for Stallone, unfortunately, there is not much there. I wonder where the franchise is gonna go next.

See you in the next review!

What's Next On My List? Sly

Here we are, ten years of #StalloneMonth. Over time I have decided to stop writing, it does not bring me the same joy as it did, but you know what I do still love? Movies. I just adore movies. And one of the many actors that keeps me going back to the big screen is none other than Sylvester Stallone. As I am going through his filmography, it is always hard to choose the four movies I will cover, and honestly, I am slowly running out, having done this for ten years now, it is no wonder. This man is a machine, and I hope he will be making movies for many years to come! Let's just jump into the next one:

Sly (2023)

Obviously, the first one we need to talk about is the documentary film that came out on Netflix in 2023, entitled Sly. It is hard to give a plot summary, but if anyone is interested in the story of Stallone getting his first break with Rocky and the story behind it, they will not be disappointed in this film. 

I am currently writing my dissertation on Italian American representation in Hollywood, and I feature both Rocky I and II heavily, as they are a perfect time capsule for the 1970s in America. I have read many interviews about his struggle as an actor, how he was barely making it, and that he refused to sell the script of Rocky, unless he was starring in it as well, and honestly, that was a good call, I think we can all agree in hindsight! But it was great to see it retold from his lips. In the documentary he is moving from LA to New York, and just around the documentary he was also in Philadelphia, as the city has established an annual Rocky Day, and the Los Angeles Times reported on it: Sylvester Stallone celebrates Philly’s first-ever Rocky Day: ‘Keep punching!’. So many years later, after such a huge franchise - as I think we can all agree that Stallone is the master of franchises* -, the impact that Rocky had on the city of Philadelphia and its legacy will live on beyond Sylvester Stallone, and that is incredible. In my popular culture classes with my students we always discuss the impact that movies and TV shows have had on culture in general, and this is one for the history books indeed.

*Think of the fact that Rocky has had its on spin off series after several movies, or the Rambo sequels, not to mention The Expendables. 

I think one of the best things to come out from all these streaming platforms is the amount of money they spend on documentaries. One is better than the next one, incredible budget, great stories, and great artists, in great moments in history. Most people are attracted to true crime, but honestly, I prefer inspirational stories, like this one. Being a megastar in Hollywood we might forget that Stallone too had to start somewhere, and even if Rocky was his breakthrough, he had acted before, and directors and producers alike noticed him. It was a great documentary on the brain of Stallone and how he puts stories to the page, how we works together with others, and his process.

I have a couple more films I want to talk about this month, and I hope I got a few people to be interested in this one. At the end of the day, Hollywood remains one of the few industries where voting with your wallet is still the way in which we decide 

Before we head out tho, seeing that there would be no Rocky without Apollo Creed, and the fantastic Carl Weathers passed away just a couple of days before I finished writing this piece, and I did not want to go without mentioning it. He was a terrific actor, and he had some of the most iconic roles during his time. Any and all projects he was part of were wonderful. He will be missed.

Stick around for more #StalloneMonth!